Edwardian Era Films

[sharon rutman]

That idea that the suit could still exist in l9l2 even though it was more approrpiate for l902 seems a bit far fetched to me, though. Remember Dame Fashion is mighty fickle even for men. As we women know hemlines go up and down faster than an out of control elevator. What's in style one season is positively gauche the next season.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Don- Animated films are rich in Gilded Age settings. I particularly liked the immigrant mouse animated feature- Fievel or something like that, I DO remember the song- Somewhere Out There-the trip over in steerage on a tossing liner and viewing the Statue of Liberty in the harbour struck a chord.Even Titanic has made it to cartoonland. Considering post Civil War to WWI as Gilded Age, many flicks were left off that list, So many Disneys- Summer Magic, Happiest Millionaire, Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang, Three Lives of Thomasina, not to mention Clifton Webb in Cheaper by the Dozen, Life With Father with Irene Dunn-I love it when the costumes are correct-and how about Hello Dolly!- So many fabulous musical films too.

 

[Mark Baber]

Fievel or something like that

"An American Tail" is the title of this delighful movie. The U.S. immigrant experience as seen through the eyes of mice!

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Collier goes to Baxter's Coin shop and asks specifically for 1912 money. He receives the suit from the costume rental-it was all they had onhand. Then he returns to his room at the Grand and with a vintage photo in hand, copies the hairstyle. After arriving in 1912, Eddra Gale as the French actress says she has not seen one like it in a decade but is glad he is not "hidebound by fashion." He looks a bit dismayed but shrugs it off and hunts for Elise at the lake. Of course he looks quite out of place in the diningroom later, with Robinson in dinner dress- his plight is rendered more pathetic. Having only the one suit raises an eyebrow at the check-in desk. All he has is the brown bag with shaving supplies and no suitcase. Before he falls back into the present, Elise hints that the suit may be more than 10 years old which prompts him to show her the secret coin pocket and extoll the virtues of his out-of-date suit. Several of Lizzie Borden's 1906 dresses are on display at the house in Fall River, and museums are burgeoning with costumes from centuries past so the suit could exist easily. Cleaned out hubby's closet tonight- found some bellbottoms in there! And I must confess, I actually asked the author and screenwriter, Richard Matheson, about that suit- it was intentionally done to make Richard's character even more endearing. Men have been content to keep a less frantic fashion pace over the years. A 1912 suited man could walk down the street today and not raise many eyebrows- but a lady thus attired would stop traffic.-Reeve and Seymour worked for scale. Jane went in to read for the part dressed in 1912 finery and said " I AM Elise McKenna and I MUST have this part!"

 

[Colleen Collier]

>>>Collier goes to Baxter's Coin shop and asks specifically for 1912 money<<<
I was always curious to why it had to specifically be 1912 money. Would it have prevented his time travel to have 1911 or 1910 money?
RE: Jane Seymour. I couldn't have thought of a better person to play this part! She is so pretty! (and unique!)
Lurking, but enjoying the conversation!
Colleen

 

[Carole Lindsay]

Not on the list but should be - the British miniseries "Edward the King"

Some others - Cavalcade - worth watching just for the famous Titanic scene (1933)

Rasputin and the Empress - starring John, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore (1932)

Houdini (1953)

 

[Kris Muhvic]

"Picnic at Hanging Rock" a book?! Forgive me, Inger, I assumed it was always a screenplay! Now another for my "must have" list! Hope I can find it...!

"Photograhing Fairies"...yes, I cheated a bit on that one, only because the film began in 1912, then quickly progressed from the war to about 1920. Hope I can get a little lee-way for that!

I actually admire WWI-era films; the demise of the Gilded age, as it is. I recall the mini-series "1915" on PBS in the 80's (havn't seen it since); and a more recent film "Behind the Lines", which was excellent...and emotionally brutal. Only saw it once, and get a lump in my throat just thinking of it!

Sorry for the somber note...just that WWI seems to get more and more, well,...forgotten. And our beloved Gilded Age generation, in any aspect, doesn't deserve that.

Yours-
Kris

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Good to see the lurkers turn out! No- 1910 money would have existed in 1912 -the 1979 penny could not have which caused the wrenching return to the present. Remember the rowboat scene when Richard is humming the Rachmaninoff Theme on a Rhapsody by Paganini and Elise asks what the song is and he tells her. She says she has not heard that one before. This 18th Variation, opus 43 was not written until 1934! Matheson had wanted Mahler's Resurrection Symphony#2 to be the background music, but John Barry had the right idea -his score for his movie is still a best-seller and the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody is the perfect haunting signature piece for the tragic lovers. For more on Gilded Age composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and the Rhapsody -
http://www.mid-mo.net/slgreene/rhap.htm

 

[Kris Muhvic]

Hello-

With all the "out of date suit" talk, it inspired me to pour over every photo and illustration I could find on men's suits from 1900-1915; and you know what? the only significant difference was that the lapels became a little more "shawl", with a deeper opening in front- although the vest was still cut high (peeps out from the jacket). Trousers stayed the same- narrow, usually with a cuff (rather wide, 1 1/2 to 2 inches I would say). Shirt/cuff/collar: pretty much adaptable through this time. The only thing I could say set Collier's suit apart was the tie...which was a little more appropriate for a 1912 schoolboy. Ties as we know of them today were basically the same style as 90+ years ago...although they are longer now, but that is only because we can see the ends; before they would be hidden under the vest (waistcoat). The jacket by 1912 would close below the belt, earlier suits (and many more styles were available before!) would sometimes be open above the belt, showing the bottom of vest...or more importantly, for some, showing the watchchain/fob! I can't remember where Reeve's character's suit jacket begun and ended it's closure. Maybe that's a clue.

Sorry for the GQ rant...just had to get that out!

Your not-so-tailored friend~
Kris

 

[Inger Sheil]

I think there's more than one edition available from Amazon.com, Chris - I seem to recall putting up a review for it. Plenty of softcovers available, but if possible the illustrated hardcover I mentioned above is a must - it's rich in turn of the century paintings, ads (for corsets even - lol!) etc.

WWI is covered fairly well in docos over here. Did you ever see that rather butchered version that aired in the states of the Australian TV miniseries that ran for yonks titled 'Anzacs'? My father still thinks it one of the best reconstructions of the war experiences that men like his father went through.

 

[Dave Moran]

Oh yeah - ANZACS was superb . But how about ' Breaker Morant' with the great Edward Woodward and Bryan Brown ? Although set in the Boer War ir does give an interesting insight into the mind, admittedly of the military, upper classes.

A few months ago Channel 4 in th UK ran a series entitled ' The Edwardian House' in which a group of volunteers played the parts of master and servants in an Edwardian House in roughly 1912/13. everything was kept strictly accurate - and it was superbly good TV. If you get a chance, you must see this.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Upstairs Downstairs made the list at the link but Lillie Langtry (with the peerless Francesca Annis) and The Duchess of Duke Street were forgotten as well as the many episodes of Sherlock Holmes with the late Jeremy Brett (my favorite Sherlock). Bit if trivia here-in The Second Stain, Harry Andrews, who plays Captain Smith in SOS TITANIC and Danielle Steele's NO GREATER LOVE makes an appearance. What an unforgettable character actor he was-and just the right vintage face for so many period films-born in 1911 I guess he could qualify as an Edwardian baby! The Edwardian House series was superb- they have done several more -one on American Prairie House and a Victorian series. I'd volunteer!

 

[John Meeks]

First time I've checked out this thread - I also checked out the link...

What happened to The Magnificent Ambersons?

Orson Welles should be turning in his grave!

Regards

John M

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

John- Magnificent Ambersons is there on that link- and the recent 2001 TV remake which was NOT as good as the original.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

John- Magnificent Ambersons is there on that link- and the recent 2001 TV remake which was NOT as good as the original.

 

[Kris Muhvic]

Oh! My brain is churning!

I love the opening scenes in "Out of Africa", and this got me thinking of another PBS movie recollation: "The Shooting Party" (I didn't see it on the list, maybe I overlooked it- sorry if I did!). Does anyone else remember it?

Inger & Dave: you got me intrigued with "Anzacs", never saw it, hope to find...somewhere... an un-doctored version. Of course, one never knows what to find until one starts looking! Thank you.

Shelley- Jeremy Brett was/is/always THE Sherlock! I remember my Dad and I would watch- in absolute silence- then analyse for the rest of the week! Just heard of a book: "The Man Who Became Sherlock Holmes: The Tortured Mind of Jeremy Brett" by Terry Manners, I hope it's not some weird, gossipy sort of thing...do you know of it?

Take care all~
Kris

 

[John Meeks]

Whoops!....I did a 'Britney" again !

...Guess I was checking out "T" for "The..."

Agree with your comment though, Shelley. I've seen both - no comparison.

John M

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Kris- have not heard of the Terry Manners book but will will sleuth it out! Sherlock being a certain obsession of mine, can't miss the opportunity to praise two Gilded Age actors dear to my heart, Clive Brook (the first "talkies" Sherlock), and William Gillette (the first American stage Sherlock). Brook born in London 1887-1974 is often found under the Silent Screen websites and was the prototype of the stiff upper lip English gentleman. He was the son of an opera singer, a WWI vet and star of stage and film before coming to Hollywood-he had the perfect face for Holmes! He played the sleuth in 3 films from 1929-32. William Gillette has a couple of connections for us here- he was one of Charles (Lusitania) Frohman's leading men and ofen starred opposite- and indeed was a mentor to Gilded Age American stage sweetheart, Maude Adams-the REAL Elise McKenna on whom Somewhere in Time is based. Rumor had it that Frohman was much enamoured of her-she was certainly his favorite leading lady. Gillette was son of a Connecticut senator and born in Hartford 1853. Mark Twain was a neighbor and friend. Gillette played Holmes from 1899-1936. His whimsical castle on the Connecticut River is near my home and is a delightful afternoon's visit. Gillette was a genius inventor, playwright, and actor. If you are EVER in the area I should be thrilled to be your guide- we'll take a picnic and visit Devil's Hopyard too- any takers? Clive Brook (cigarette cards)

 

[sharon rutman]

Gee,looks like I created something of a firestorm with my little query about the out of date suit Reeve wore. But it did rankle somewhat even though Reeve just loved it inspite of its flaws. As a playwright, he should have known better anyhow--whenever he researched material for a play he knew the importance of accuracy and detail so his plays would be perfect. Sorry, he should have known better.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Sharon,

Gee, you seem to be deliberately finding fault with the movie. You actually seem to find fault everywhere. But your criticisms are expected; no firestorm could come of them. Shelley was a close friend of Richard Matheson so if anyone here knows about the intricacies of the script, its her.

Randy